Its time to replace my aging look 565, I have a budget of 3k. I would love a Cervelo, but my head is telling me there is nothing better for the money than a Canyon slx cf 8.0

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3091

Any advice on alternatives, all the big brands seem to be compromised on spec at that price, either Ultegra and / or poorer wheels.

What am I missing?

Are there still any of the cheap Cervelo R5 frames knocking about?

The canyon is ace and was even ripped off by cervelo who coughed up in court a couple of years ago

Just make sure you’re going to be happy with after sales

CIO: love mine but not sure I’d buy another which seems a recurring theme when I meet others on the road and trail, wondering if the guy with the fork running no oil posts on here……….

I’m handy with the spanners and have always run second hand bikes, so the aftercare is probably not a massive issue for me.

dont scrape on wheels – go for them first , then decide on a frame with what budget is left!

The headset and forks on that canyon just look wrong (IMO of course ).

I’ve got an older Canyon SLX and it’s superb. I’d definitely buy Canyon again.

Check out a Giant Defy Advanced 1 (or TCR); great bikes.

If I had £3k and looking at Canyons then I would be looking at the 2012 models from their outlet store. Some cracking bikes to be had if the frame size is right. Clicky
For the same price and spec but with a top set of wheels

Heard decent reports about these:

Cube Agree Di2

Comes with Ultegra Di2

Preferring mechanical 9000 Dura Ace to Ultegra Di2 though.

Do you not fancy another Look (566)?

A bit sportive focused and with ultegra again for the money. I’m looking at something for racing

That looks like great value for money. Not so sure about the aesthetics (by which I suppose I mean I just hate the Canyon logo graphic), but if you’re less shallow than me, then go for it.

If racing then just get an alu Canyon and set the extra aside either for bling race-day-only wheels or parts replacements for when you crash.

A top of the range worx bike with SRAM Red and a lot of change left over for a spare pair of wheels

This is £3000 in this guise, if you can live with ultegra?

MrSmith – have Worx actually got a road bike in production yet?

Had a look at the Focus Izalco Pro recently, cracking spec for the money. You only get a Rotor chainset though – fine if you want to use Q Rings etc, but the chainset is the stand-out item in the 9000 groupset, I think it’s such a shame not to have it!

A couple of lads I ride with have recently gone onto Scott Foils… They don’t like long rides any more… 😉

Personally, with that budget, I’d get the Canyon and then upgrade the frame to a Cervélo in a couple of years…

Focus Izalco pro 1 would definitely be worth a look at £2899. Spec here says dura ace cranks but pic shows rotor so I’m not sure what you get.

I have an izalco pro 2 and it makes me smile every time I ride it. Its so fast you almost have to reign it in.

Edinburgh bikes were doing 15% off at the weekend which would have saved £430! But too late.

The one I looked at in Wheelbase had Rotor cranks. I wasn’t a big fan of the wheels either – there’s obviously an assumption that you’ll upgrade those or have a set of deep sections for racing… Sadly, that seems to be the case with most ready-built road bikes nowadays.

How about the Ribble bike builder?

I wasn’t a big fan of the wheels either – there’s obviously an assumption that you’ll upgrade those or have a set of deep sections for racing… Sadly, that seems to be the case with most ready-built road bikes nowadays.

Very true, easy way to keep the cost down, and most folk do have either race wheels or a nice set of their own. My old man bought his new bike from Wheelbase last summer and managed to buy the bike without wheels as he didn’t need them in return for a few hundred quid off the cost.

I’m looking at something for racing

If its 4th cat crits, something metal and cheap..that way you won’t have to sweep whats left of your bike up after the inevitable pile up… 🙂

My izalco came with Mavic Cosmic Elite wheels which I’ve put on one of my commuting road bikes, they seem robust enough. I had another set of wheels anyway so the wheel spec didn’t bother me.

If its 4th cat crits, something metal and cheap..that way you won’t have to sweep whats left of your bike up after the inevitable pile up..

I might end up saving the look for crits, Would probably race a new bike on the road the 3/4 RR I did at the weekend was much better mannered than the crits I’ve done

What about some chinese carbon…

Nope

My friend is selling a as new(4 rides) 56 cervelo RS,3t carbon finishing kit, 105 groupset, chris king hplus son wheel set
I reckon he’d take 2.1k ,unregistered warranty.

but my head is telling me there is nothing better for the money than a Canyon slx cf 8.0

I think your head may be right…

Great spec that canyon .. superlight too.

MrSmith – have Worx actually got a road bike in production yet?

soon, AFAIK everything is finalised, they are back from the Taipei show, a couple of last pre-prod are here in the u.k. you would have to ask neil when they are available though. think the SRAM red one is going to be £2.2k?

That canyon is a huge amount of bike for the money.

I’ve just agreed to purchase a frame only option from Condor and am thinking that while the whole Canyon bike is a third more than the frame only option, selling my current bike would net me a lot more than the marginal cost.

Second what everyone’s said. Listen to your head, buy the canyon.

Bought an Ultimate CF 9.0 a year ago. Great buy.
Did all the research and considered a lot of the competition above but the Canyon came out on top. The bike fit has proved correct as well. I can ride it all day in comfort.